Bison Burgers with Caramelized Red Wine Onions

April 6, 2012

Most commonly, recipes call for beef and chicken, and occasionally lamb, so it’s nice to mix things up every once in a while with a little bison. These bison burgers are juicy and flavorful, and the smoked cheese along with the red wine caramelized onions take them to another level. I could happily eat those onions by the spoonful. Serve over lettuce and your favourite burger toppings.

Ingredients

Patties:

1 pound ground bison (not extra lean)

1/2 cup red onion, finely chopped

1/2 cup feta cheese, finely crumbled

1 tsp. fresh thyme

1/4 cup parsley, chopped

3 Tbsp. Dijon mustard

salt and pepper

Onions

3 yellow onions, sliced

3/4 cup dry red wine (e.g. Cabernet Sauvignon)

Other

lettuce

cheese, optional (applewood cheddar or smoked mozzarella work nicely)

other burger toppings of your preference

beef tallow

Preparation

Onions

1. Sauté onions in beef tallow over medium-high heat for 10 minutes.

2. Lower the temperature to medium-low and caramelize the onions for another 45 minutes.

3. Add wine to the onions and cook for another 10 minutes. Yes, it’s a lengthy process, but the met-in your mouth result is well worth it.

Patties

1. In a large bowl, combine patty ingredients. Season with salt and pepper. Shape into patties without over-working the mixture.

What a wonderful recipe for bison burgers! The feta sounds like a delicious addition to the meat. Even though it sounds like the caramelization process may take a while, the bison meat actually cooks quicker than beef because it is leaner. So make sure to watch your burgers especially if this is your first time cooking.